I Love Your Lifestyle

I Love Your Lifestyle are a five-piece emo/indie/punk band from Malmö and Gothenburg, Sweden that formed in 2012. They play an excellent blend of up-beat punk mixed in with the bright, twinkly/noodley guitar sound of midwestern emo, with some catchy as hell Cap'n Jazz vocals. Basically, they're Algernon Cadwallader reincarnated. We Go Way Back is one of the best emo records to come out in the past few years, and their new 2-song EP is just as good. I can't recommend this band enough for fans of Kinsella-inspired midwestern emo. Enjoy.

I Love Your Lifestyle EP (2013)

1. Spider Monkey

2. Cristoffer Robin

3. Poetry Issues

4. Dynamites & Catfights

5. Happy Lacuna

6. Long Time No Bruce

I Was A Loser In School EP (2015)

1. Prank

2. Zitch Dog

3. I Was A Loser In School

We Go Way Back (2016)

1. Nice Jacket. Not

2. My Yard

3. Jazz Nights

4. Common Sense

5. Oh, Twisted Me

6. Overall Adderall

7. Testimonial Deadline

8. Routine

9. Brain Freeze

10. No Time For Major Fuck Ups

11. Birds of Paradise

12. Dirty Shades

13. Roda Mossan

14. Summer 03

Touch / Fire (2017)

1. Touch

2. Fire

No Driver (2020)

1. Stupid

2. Car

3. No Harm, No Foul

4. Shilly-Shally

5. Align!

6. I Have No Point To Make

7. Fram Och Tillbaka

8. Well, That's Not Ideal

9. OK

10. Inner Freakness

11. Making Nothing Out Of Something

Bandcamp

Facebook

Shirokuma

Shirokuma are a four-piece screamo band from Sweden that have been active since 2012. They play a very melodic style of screamo that incorporates elements of emo and melodic hardcore. With some very bright and noodly guitars, a flowing rhythm section, and some pain-stakingly shrieked vocals, they're an absolute must for fans of fellow Swedish band and split-mates Suis La Lune. Other decent comparisons might be Raein, State Faults, Cavalcades, and Loma Prieta's last album. If "melodic screamo" sounds appealing, it doensn't get much better than Shirokuma. Enjoy.

Demo (2012)

1. Exits

2. Old Stories

3. Past Times In Silence

Shirokuma (2013)

1. Dropping Out

2. To Seek My Very Own Sun

3. Stranded

4. What Is Cold?

Sun Won't Set (2014)

1. A Cloud Painted

2. Cold, Cold Hands

3. To Seek Out My Very Own Sun

4. Okami

5. Four Rivers

6. Chiaroscuro

7. Falling Leaves From A Dying Tree

8. Blue Circles Turning Black

9. Sun Won't Set

Light Dies / Colours Fade (2015)

1. Empty Squares And Thinner Lines

2. The Rabbits Hole

3. Well

4. Marble White

5. Crystal Shell

Shirokuma/Suis La Lune (2016)

1. Shirokuma - Endless Rain

2. Shirokuma - The Earth Sleeps 

3. Shirokuma - Leave Me

4. Shirokuma - Lost Contact

5. Shirokuma - My Body Is An Empty Vessel

6. Suis La Lune - What These Hands Can't Hold

7. Suis La Lune - Beyond Repair

8. Suis La Lune - In Between Heartbeats

9. Suis La Lune - Lost Moments

Clothes I Wear For The Space I'm In (2019)

1. Black Lungs

2. Flies

3. Cycles

4. Present Day

5. Smiles

6. Seven Candles

7. In Abeyance

8. Above The Noise

9. Space

Bandcamp

Facebook

Lungfish

Lungfish are a four-piece post-hardcore band from Baltimore, Maryland that formed in 1988, and are still active today. Without a doubt, Lungfish are known as being one of the most seminal, prolific, and definitive bands in the history of post-hardcore.Their output spans over two decades, and almost all of it has been released through Dischord Records. Sonically, Lungfish were known for their angular guitar melodies and droning rhythms, in addition to their sing-spoken vocals. If you ever wondered where Self Defense Family came from, this is it. In addition to them, Lungfish are an undeniably massive influence on post-hardcore, and have been one of the most consistent bands in the genre, putting out solid album after solid album. Enjoy.

Necklace Of Heads (1990)

1. Come Clean

2. Put Your Halo On

3. Ain't No Color

4. Not Only Long Ride Too High

5. Parthenogenesis

6. Devilhead

7. Nothing Is Easy

8. Fambly

Talking Songs For Walking (1992)

1. Friend To Friend In Endtime

2. Broadcast

3. Descender

4. Samuel

5. Kissing

6. Reveal Me

7. My Fool Heart

8. One Face

9. Non Dual Bliss

10. Put Your Hand In My Hand

Rainbows From Atoms (1993)

1. Instrument

2. Mother Made Me

3. Abraham Lincoln

4. Animal Man

5. Fresh Air Cure

6. Creation Story

7. Axiomatic

8. Open House

9. 8.14.2116

10. You Might Ask Me What

11. Seek Sound Shelter

Pass And Stow (1994)

1. Cleaner Than Your Surroundings

2. Straightaway

3. Washing Away

4. At Liberty To Say

5. The Trap Gets Set

6. Computer

7. Highway Sweetheart

8. Astronaut's Prayer

9. Idiot Vehicle

10. One Way All The Time

11. In Praise Of Amoral Phenomena

12. Gorilla Monsoon

13. The Evidence

14. Terminal Crash

Sound In Time (1996)

1. Constellations

2. To Whom You Were Born

3. Jonah

4. Solid State

5. X-Ray The Pharaoh

6. Signpost

7. Sphere Of Influence

8. The Cipher

9. Panic And Hysteria

10. Constellations

Indivisible (1997)

1. Indivisible

2. You Did Not Exist

3. E=FU

4. Urania

5. Organ Harvest

6. Yellow Sun

7. William Fuld

8. Tick Tock

9. Cut To Fit The Mouth

10. Fill The Days

11. Sin To Live

Artificial Horizon (1998)

1. Black Helicopters

2. Oppress Yourself

3. Amnesiac

4. Love Will Ruin Your Mind

5. Ann The Word

6. Slip Of Existence

7. Free State

8. Truth Cult

9. Shed The World

10. Pray For The Living

11. Light For All

The Unanimous Hour (1999)

1. Space Orgy

2. Web Of Mirrors

3. Searchlight

4. Vulgar Theories

5. God's Will

6. Mated

7. Metatron

8. Sands Of Time

9. Return To The Caves

11. Hallucinatorium

Necrophones (2000)

1. The Words

2. The Way

3. Necrophones

4. All Day And All Night Long

5. Blue Sky

6. Hanging Bird

7. Shapes In Space

8. Sex War

9. Cross Road

10. Eternal Nightfall

11. Occult Vibrations

12. Infinite Daybreak

Love Is Love (2003)

1. Love Is Love

2. This World

3. Fearfully And Wonderfully

4. Hear The Children Sing

5. Lay Yourself Aside

6. Nation Saving Song

7. Unfold The Leg

8. No False Suns

9. Peace Mountains Of Peace

10. Child Of Chaos

Feral Hymns (2005)

1. All Creations Bows

2. Time Is A Weapon Of Time

3. Wailing Like Dragons

4. Picture Music

5. You Are The War

6. Invert The State

7. Way Out Is The Way Out

8. Sing

9. Sower Of Systems

10. Sweet Nucleus

A.C.R. 1999 (2012)

1. Eternal Nightfall

2. Symbiosis

3. Screams Of Joy

4. Occult Vibrations

5. I Will Walk Between You

6. Aesop

7. Sex War

8. Infinite Daybreak

9. Hanging Bird

10. Shapes In Space

Dischord

Bandcamp

Starkweather

Starkweather are a five-piece hardcore/metalcore band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 1989 and are still active today. They are best known for pioneering metalcore (in its purest form), which was a blend of metal and hardcore. More specifically, their two early releases, Crossbearer and Into The Wire, are cornerstones in hardcore history. These two albums are nothing but unbridled, visceral, intensity. Heavy riffs, progressive song structures, manic vocals, and lyrics that cut deep are just some of the many incredible aspects of Starkweather that make them such a timeless band. Their most recent material, the LPs Croatoan and This Sheltering Night (the latter was put out by Deathwish) are also incredibly solid, and continue to maintain their legacy as one of the best hardcore bands ever. They're an absolute classic and essential, so get on this. Enjoy.

Crossbearer (1992)

1. Tumult

2. Mean Streets

3. Rest The Soul

4. Lazarus Runs

5. Murder In Technicolor

6. Shards / Unto Me

7. Picture It Obsidian

8. The Rift

9. Above The Rafters

10. Desolate

A Food Not Bombs Benefit LP (1994)

5. Mainline

Into The Wire (1995)

1. Shroud

2. Shards

3. Unto Me

4. Murder In Technicolor

5. Into The Wire

6. Slither

Croatoan (2005)

1. Slither

2. Taming Leeches With Fire

3. Vespertilian

4. Silken Garotte / The Infinity Coil

5. Machine Rhythm Confessional

6. Hushabye: Goodnight

7. Bitter Frost

8. Wilding

This Sheltering Night (2010)

1. Epiphany

2. Swarm

3. Broken From Inside

4. Transmit

5. All Creatures Damned And Divine

6. One Among Vermin

7. Receive

8. Bustuari

9. Proliferate

10. Martyring

11. The End Of All Things

Overmars/Starkweather (2011)

1. Overmars - Solitary; Following The Sperm Whale (Once Again)

2. Overmars - Last Sail Sinking

3. Starkweather - Nightmare Factory

4. Starkweather - Armed Memory

Starkweather/Concealment (2018)

1. Starkweather - Divided By Zero

2. Concealment - Liminality

Bandcamp

Tragedy

Tragedy are a four-piece hardcore/crust punk band that formed in 1995. Originally, they were based out of Memphis, Tennessee, but have since re-located to Portland, Oregon. Members of Tragedy were also in His Hero Is Gone and Deathreat, in addition to a ton of other bands. Since the turn of the century though, they've been killing it as Tragedy. With over a decade of experience, they've never failed to deliver some incredible hardcore with their crust punk roots showing. Their vocals are harshly guttural, while their instrumentals can only be described as intensely melodic, which makes sense if you give them a listen. The've also released almost all their albums through their own label, so they definitely get points for the full DIY. Enjoy.

Tragedy (2000)

1. Intro

2. The Point Of No Return

3. Not Fucking Fodder

4. Never Knowing Peace

5. Confessions Of A Suicide Advocate

6. Instrumental

7. Instrumental II

8. The Intolerable Weight

9. You Are an Experiment

10. Products Of A Cold War Depression

11. With Empty Hands Extended

12. Instrumental III

13. Tension Awaiting Imminent Collapse

14. Chemical Imbalance

Can We Call This Life? (2001)

1. The Ending Fight

2. Life

3. The Waiting

Vengeance (2002)

1. Conflicting Ideas

2. Call To Arms

3. Vengeance

4. Recurring Nightmare

5. Beginning Of The End

6. The Lure

7. Night Falls

8. The Day After

9. War Within Us

10. Revengeance

11. To The Dogs

12. No Words

Tragedy/Totalitär (2003)

1. Tragedy - No End In Sight

2. Tragedy - None Of Your Business

3. Totalitär - Krossa Elitsystemet 2

4. Totalitär - Förena Er 2

To The Dogs b/w The Lure (2004)

1. To The Dogs

2. The Lure

Nerve Damage (2006)

1. Eyes Of Madness

2. Force Of Law

3. Rabid Panic

4. Deaf And Disbelieving

5. The Hunger

6. Total Vision

7. In Formation

8. Incendiary

9. Crucifer

10. Under The Radar

11. Plan Of Execution

Darker Days Ahead (2012)

1. No Cemeteries Here

2. Close At Hand

3. The Grim Infinite

4. The Feeding Hour

5. Wail Of Sirens

6. Darker Days Ahead

7. Black Against Night

8. Power Fades

9. To Earth Like Dust

Negative Approach

Negative Approach are a seminal four-piece hardcore punk band from Detroit, Michigan that initially existed from 1981 to 1984, though reunited in 2006 and have been playing shows ever since. This band is one of the undisputed best and most important hardcore bands ever. They were defined by their anger, aggression, and vocalist John Brannon's distinct bark and less-than-positive lyricism, all of which hold up for years after their incarnation, and have continued to be influential even to this day.

In their original few years as a band, their main recorded output consisted of a self-titled 7" and one LP, Tied Down, both on Touch And Go Records. Their legacy would really be solidified years after, with the release of Total Recall, which compiled both their EP and LP, in addition to demos and live tracks, all from their initial three years as a band. This compilation is absolutely essential, and I would rank it among certain other hardcore bests (Minor Threat's Complete Discography, Black Flag's The First Four Years, etc.) This is classic hardcore punk 101.

Post-Negative Approach, Brannon formed another incredible band, Laughing Hyenas, which played a blues-punk hybrid. I'd also highly recommend giving them a listen (there's a post on them from a few months ago). He was also in another band called Easy Action. In 2006, Negative Approach was reformed by Brannon and drummer Chris "Opie" Moore, both who were a part of the original NA line-up. Since then, they've played a few sporadic shows, tours, and festivals. This band has got a strong legacy, and some timeless songs that don't age easily. Highly, highly recommended. Enjoy.

Tied Down (1983)

1. Tied Down

2. Hypocrite

3. Evacuate

4. Said And Done

5. Nothing

6. Your Mistake

7. Live Your Life

8. Friend or Foe

9. Dead Stop

10. I'll Survive

Total Recall (1992)

1. Lost Cause

2. Can't Tell No One

3. Sick Of Talk

4. Pressure

5. Why Be Something That You're Not

6. Nothing

7. Fair Warning

8. Ready To Fight

9. Lead Song

10. Whatever I Do

11. Negative Approach

12. Tied Down

13. Hypocrite

14. Evacuate

15. Said And Done

16. Nothing

17. Your Mistake

18. Live Your Life

19. Friend Or Foe

20. Dead Stop

21. I'll Survive

22. Can't Tell No One

23. Whatever I Do

24. Ready To Fight

25. Chaos

26. Pressure + Fair Warning

27. Lost Cause

28. Genocide + Lost Cause

29. Never Surrender

30. D.A.B.F.

31. Said And Done

32. Sick Of Talk + N.A.

33. Your Mistake

34. Tied Down

35. I'll Survive

36. Kiss Me Kill Me

37. I Got A Right

38. Tunnel Vision

Ready To Fight (2005)

1. Pressure

2. No Doubt About It

3. Don't Calle Me Up

4. I Don't Want It

5. Sick Of Talk

6. Ready To Fight

7. Lost Cause

8. Chaos

9. Fashionable Idiots

10. Negative Approach

11. Your Mistake

12. Friend Or Foe

13. Live Your Life

14. Tied Down

15. Hypocrite

16. I'll Survive

17. Nothing

18. Said And Done

19. Can't Tell No One

20. Sick Of Talk

21. Whatever I Do

22. Shit For Brains

23. Ready To Fight

24. Friend Or Foe

25. Live Your Life

26. Said And Done

27. Lead Song

28. Nothing

29. Fair Warning

30. Never Surrender

31. Negative Approach

32. Tied Down

33. Ready To Fight

34. Fair Warning

35. Hypocrite

36. Why Be Something That You're Not

37. Friend Or Foe

38. Dead Stop

39. Whatever I Do

40. Sick Of Talk

41. Can't Tell No One

42. Your Mistake

43. Live Your Life

44. Nothing

45. Negative Approach

46. Evacuate

47. Chaos

48. DABF

49. Pressure

50. Genocide

Note: Tracks 1-18 are demos, tracks 19-50 are live

Friends Of No One (2010)

1. Friends Of No One

2. Obsession

3. I Got A Right (The Stooges cover)

4. Cargo Cult

5. Kiss Me Kill Me

6. Genocide

Note: Recorded in 1984